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Teen Read '09 Books

06/09/2009

A tsunami wipes out life on a small island “somewhere in the South Pelagic Ocean”. Mau, one of the few survivors meets Daphne, a young English girl whose ship was deposited on the island by the tidal wave. Over time other survivors make it to the island and a new nation is born.

Not everyone speaks the same language, practices the same religion, has the same customs and traditions, but they now must work together because their survival depends on it. With humor and wisdom, Terry Pratchett explores how people build a new society when everything has been wiped away.

It may sound very serious and boring and not summer read like, but there are also funny and thrilling adventures that involve cannibals and secret treasures.

How do you think you would handle building a new society from the ground up with people who may or may not have similar beliefs and values? What would be your ideal society?

Twilight fan?Try this first in a series by Claudia Gray.Sixteen year old, Bianca dreads her first day at her new exclusive boarding school, Evernight.She knows something is not quite right with the spooky place, even after she meets and quickly falls for a handsome outsider named Lucas.Are there secrets that put Bianca in danger?Is Lucas hiding something?Is Bianca?Romance, mystery, danger and a healthy dose of vampires await you in this one.Give it a try and tell us what you think!

Kek’s whole world changes. He leaves his life and his mother to go to another part of the world – a place he knows nothing about and does not understand to start over with a new family he doesn’t really know. He doesn’t have much to take with him, except for the terrible guilt he carries, guilt because he survived when so many he loved did not. Would you be able to handle the terrible things Kek must face? Can you imagine trying to fit into a world so incredibly different from your own? Would you know the difference between a washing machine and a dishwasher if you had never seen either? Read Home of the Brave and let us know what you think!

06/02/2009

At the start of Inkheart, we meet Meggie, a 12-year-old girl living contentedly with her father, Mo - whom she loves fiercely. Mo's special trade as a rare books "doctor" provides a logical reason for their frequent moves, and as far as Meggie's concerned, if she has Mo and her favorite books with her, she's home. But the sudden appearance of Dustfinger and his strange horned marten, Gwin, reveal long-kept secrets and deadly enemies that Meggie never imagined could exist outside of books.

Although the action is almost nonstop at times, I found the characters to be just as fascinating. Who were your favorites? Did you find yourself identifying with Meggie the most? Do you think she felt betrayed by her father's secret-keeping, or would her love allow her to forgive almost anything? What about Dustfinger? Was his act of betrayal justified or not - and did he manage to redeem himself? And Elinor - did she even know she was lonely before Mo, Meggie, Resa and Darius entered her life, which had been almost entirely focused on books? What role will Farid take in Meggie's world? And who, among all the villains, was the scariest?

06/01/2009

How would you function if, as a result of germ warfare, everyone could read your thoughts, and you could read everyone else's? Oh, and that includes animals, such as your unwanted pet dog who can be very preoccupied with his bodily functions. And you are the last boy, bored and isolated, in a town full of increasingly grim men and you are less than a month away from your 13th birthday, a birthday in which you will undergo the strange secret initiation that will finally turn you into a man. But then you accidently discover something that changes everything and everyone...and you must run.

The Knife of Never
Letting Go is not a book to read if
you are having trouble getting to sleep…actually it's a book to read if you are
having trouble staying awake .In
fact, reading this book is the equivalent of a experiencing the effects of
highly caffeinated beverage consumed while blindfolded on a skateboard headed
down an icy covered hill accompanied by a sound track that alternates between
heavy metal music, static, and silence. I read this book months ago, and at first couldn't remember if it was a movie or a book; the images were that vivid.

The author, Patrick Ness, has commented that the story was influenced in part by both the eroding sense of privacy in our world and the explosion of information available to everyone. He's interested in how we filter though it, but also what would happen if the filters were suddenly removed. What are your feelings on this?

How would you cope? This is a book packed with action, but also with ideas. What struck you about it?

05/29/2009

Calling all filmmakers! Listening Library is sponsoring a video contest and they want to see your films. Read on for more information about the contest:

THINGS TO KNOW:

ØCONTEST INFO: Listening Library is sponsoring a video contest for teens ages 13-18 to create short films that answer the questions, “If you could go on a road trip with a character from your favorite audio series, where would you go? What would you do along the way? How would you travel?”

ØPARTICIPATING AUTHORS: Libba Bray, author of the Gemma Doyle Trilogy (A Great and Terrible Beauty, Rebel Angels, and The Sweet Far Thing), Tamora Pierce, author of, among many, many titles, the Beka Cooper series (her current series, so far it includes Terrier and Bloodhound), and Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series (including the latest, The Last Olympian).

ØHOW TO ENTER: teens can visitwww.fantasyroadtripcontest.com for all the details about how to enter, video requirements and information about the authors and their books. Don’t miss the animated video introducing the contest!

ØWINNERS: Authors will judge the videos and then each author will pick a winner (for a total of three), who will receive an 8GB iPod Touch and a collection of signed audiobooks.

ØDATES: The contest will be open from June 1-August 17; it’s a great activity to keep kids entertained while they’re home for the summer!

Well, this is certainly one of those books that you CAN judge by its cover! I was so intrigued by the vintage look of the cover: 40s hair style, the vivid red lipstick, that I just HAD to read "What I Saw and How I Lied," by Judy Blundell. Then, I started reading a lot of buzz on the book: the critics loved it, it was being mentioned as a possible candidate for the National Book Award; the author was better known as Jude Watson, writer of the children's Star Wars series. That sealed the deal.

Have YOU read the book yet? Are you interested in yet another coming-of-age story, but one filled with intrigue, murder, deception, anti-semitism, the loss of innocence on multiple levels? C'mon on back here when you've finished the story so we can share notes! I promise you won't be disappointed by this retro story filled with 21st century elements.

05/28/2009

The books listed on this summer's blog are available at your local library! If you live in Adams, Columbia, Dane, Green, Portage, Sauk or Wood Counties in South Central Wisconsin you can put a hold on any of these titles and have them delivered to your local library. Just click on any of the titles below to place holds on these great books.

I'll admit that I'm not a techno-geek (a term I use with great admiration) but any time somebody takes away my right to email, blog, talk on the phone or even write a letter in privacy, I am one mad chica! But really, what could I do about it? Would I have the guts (let alone the brains) to stand up for my rights or subvert the system?

05/27/2009

If you had the grace for killing what would you do with it? Is there another grace you would rather have? I hope you enjoyed Graceling as much as I did, but if you didn't, let us know why! Did you have a favorite part? A part you hated? Would you have the courage to stand against a brutal king? What color are your eyes..?